History
Formation and It's Our Time (2001β2006)
Rise or Die Trying, Explains It All (2006β2009)
The band's 2007 release Rise or Die Trying with I Surrender Records peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in its debut week. On the back of their increasing popularity, the band was signed to Decaydance Records in February 2008.
On July 21, 2009, Four Year Strong released an album of covers from the 1990s, titled Explains It All. The album features guest appearances from Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, and JR and Buddy of Less Than Jake. The band explained their reasoning behind the album in a MySpace blog, saying "Itβs what we grew up listening to. Everyone has those songs that instantly transport you back to when you were younger. Whether we were in our bedrooms playing air guitar, or riding in the car to little league practice, or it was just that song that was all over the radio during that awesome summer at the Cape. These songs have impacted us in some way and we want to share that feeling with you."
Enemy of the World (2010)
The band's 3rd full-length album, Enemy of the World, was released on March 9, 2010 on Universal Motown Records. The band released the album's first single, "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now", on December 21, 2009. The name of the song is a reference to the final sentence of a review in Alternative Press in which the magazine praised Set Your Goals' new album while remarking on the future of Four Year Strong and how their record would compare. The vinyl record was made available to pre-order on March 2, 2010. The album sold 12,400 copies in its first week, debuting at number 40 on the Billboard 200.
On April 3, 2011, it was announced that Josh Lyford would be leaving the band. Initially, it was implied that Lyford had chosen to leave in order to focus on his side project, Foxfires. However, it was later confirmed by both Lyford and Alan Day, that the band had elected to remove synthesizers from their sound leaving no room for Lyford to continue. The band has said they will continue as a four piece.
In Some Way, Shape or Form (2011βpresent)
On April 13, 2011, in an interview with Alternative Press, the band revealed that they had been in the middle of recording their fourth studio album with producer David Bendeth in New Jersey's House of Loud. The band is set to return to the studio, without Josh Lyford, to finish the album in June, after they finish touring with Rise Against. Vocalist Alan Day has also revealed that the new songs the band had written were very diverse, and that the new material is different than anything the band has ever written. While touring with Rise Against, they have been playing a newly recorded, yet unreleased song called "Falling on You".
On August 18, 2011, the band released "Stuck in the Middle", a new song from the upcoming album. The band announced that the new album will be titled In Some Way, Shape, or Form, and will be released on November 8, 2011. On September 8, 2011, the band released another song from the album, entitled "Falling on You." The first official single from the album, "Just Drive", is set for release on September 27, 2011
During the Fall 2011 AP Tour, the band played another new unreleased song which will be released on the upcoming album. The band dedicates it to fans who have been there "from the very beginning, and will be there till the very end." a video of the song has been leaked on YouTube. It is called "Fairweather Fan."
Touring
The band has done multiple national tours, sharing the stage with such bands as The Starting Line, Slip On It, Hellogoodbye, From First to Last, Every Time I Die, Meg & Dia, Hidden in Plain View, Alexisonfire, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, New Found Glory, Bayside and Steel Train. The band toured in FebruaryβApril 2009 as part of the Taste of Chaos tour, alongside Thursday, Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, and Cancer Bats. They undertook the Summer co-headline tour with Set Your Goals, and also Fireworks, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, A Loss For Words, Drive A and Grave Maker from July to August 2009. Four Year Strong also performed on the Australian Soundwave festival in February and March 2010, alongside headliners Faith No More, Janes Addiction, Placebo; also playing alongside Alexisonfire, Set Your Goals, A Day To Remember, Paramore, It Dies Today, Gallows, Emarosa, A Wilhelm Scream, Anthrax, All Time Low, Escape The Fate, This Is Hell, Enter Shikari, Anti-Flag, Baroness, Comeback Kid, The Almost, Dance Gavin Dance, Architects, You Me At Six, Rolo Tomassi, Dichi Michi, Sunny Day Real Estate and many more. The band was in the lineup for Vans Warped Tour 2010 and played on the Altec Lansing stage along side Breathe Carolina, Hey Monday, and Set Your Goals.[7] They also played the first day on the Bamboozle festival. Late 2010, Four Year Strong headlined a tour with Comeback Kid, The Wonder Years, American Fangs, and Mountain Man. The tour was entitled "Tonight We Feel Alive!", and spanned the entire United States. In February 2011, Four Year Strong co-headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2011 with Good Charlotte with support from Framing Hanley and The Wonder Years, The tour began February 3rd in Dublin, Ireland. On the 15th February 2011 it was announced that they had been added to support Blink 182 on their UK tour alongside You Me At Six They will be joining Rise Against and Bad Religion on a US summer tour in 2011. They have also announced that they will come back to Australia later in the year to play Soundwave Revolution along with already announced bands The Damned Things, Story of The Year, Every Time I Die, Hellogoodbye, We Are The In Crowd and many others. They still have yet to announce an upcoming Detroit show. It is long overdue.
Musical style
The band's sound can be described as popcore a blend of pop punk, hardcore punk, and power pop. This genre is popularly referred to as "easycore" or "happycore". The band simply developed their sound off the idea of playing 'exactly what they want to hear' or music that they would listen to, but no one else was playing at the time.[8] The band has cited their influences as being Lifetime, Saves the Day, Gorilla Biscuits, Blink-182, and New Found Glory, to name a few. Though the band would primarily start out as a post-hardcore , the release of their demo in 2004 would mark a shift from post-hardcore to more synthesizer-heavy tracks, where the band would begin to embrace the styles of power pop and general hardcore punk. Prior to the release of and at times within Rise or Die Trying, the band also incorporates more facets of modern hardcore, such as double bass drums, breakdowns and screaming vocals. For their 3rd studio album, Enemy of the World, the band decided to expand upon their hardcore influences.
Influences
The band has many references to 1990's pop culture. They have been known to quote lines from '90s films in lyrics/song titles/ and in conversation. They were influenced by all the bands on their cover album Explains It All.
It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now
Four Year Strong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I drag myself through the dirt just to feel a little closer to the ground
Because I've always had my head up in the clouds
Take a second and look down
I've got my name on a string
Tangled up in lights despite the fact that they are working
I live my life on the line to find a way to be unforgettable
Don't regret it if it hasn't happened yet
So let's go, a tiny spark to set it off
I'll explode, ignite the dark illuminate the unknown
But since your head's in the clouds the best advice I found is don't look down
Face the facts you're a betting man and the deck is stacked
Against you all the time
Since your life is just a failure by design
Do you feel like you're better without it?
'Cause it looks like you're nothing without it
Don't fix it if it hasn't broken yet
Don't regret it if it hasn't happened yet
So let's go, a tiny spark to set it off
I'll explode, ignite the dark illuminate the unknown
But since your head's in the clouds the best advice I found is don't look down
Don't look down
A tiny spark to set it off
Ignite the dark and live it up
Don't fix it if it hasn't broken yet
Don't regret it if it hasn't happened yet
So let's go, a tiny spark to set it off
I'll explode, ignite the dark, illuminate the unknown
But since your head's in the clouds the best advice I found is don't look down
Well it's the best advice I've found
Don't look down
The song It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now by Four Year Strong conveys a depth of emotion that speaks of the struggle we all face as we try to hold our own in a world that often feels stacked against us. The lyrics cleverly play with the concept of looking down to establish the singer's connection to the ground, a symbol of the real world, and the clouds, a symbol of dreams and aspirations. The singer oscillates between despair and confidence as he confronts his demerits and contemplates his triumphs.
The chorus is an anthem of sorts, exhorting the listener to embrace life with all its ups and downs and to never be deterred by shortcomings or failures. The lines "Don't fix it if it hasn't broken yet, Don't regret it if it hasn't happened yet" suggest that one should not let fear and uncertainty dictate their actions. The song's theme of resilience and defiance is given a subtle twist in the second verse with lines like "Do you feel like you're better without it? 'Cause it looks like you're nothing without it", hinting at the ambiguous relationship that often exists between our greatest desires and our sense of self-worth.
Overall, It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now is a powerful song that cuts through the noise and speaks to the human heart.
* Fact 1: The song title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Four Year Strong were facing criticism at the time for changing their sound.
* Fact 2: It was the lead single off their 2011 album "In Some Way, Shape, or Form".
* Fact 3: The music video for the song features the band playing in a haunted house while being chased by zombies.
* Fact 4: Four Year Strong played the song live on the TBS show Conan.
* Fact 5: The song was co-written by Alex Gaskarth from pop-punk band All Time Low.
* Fact 6: The song's lyrics were partly inspired by a quote from film director Kevin Smith.
* Fact 7: The album version of the song features additional lyrics that were not in the single version.
* Fact 8: The song has been described as a pivot away from Four Year Strong's hardcore punk roots and towards a more pop-punk sound.
* Fact 9: The song's intro features a sample from the film "Back to the Future".
* Fact 10: The song was used in promotional material for the video game "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD".
The chords for It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now are as follows:
Intro/Verse: C#m, B, A, E
Pre-Chorus: C#m, A, B, E
Chorus: C#m, A, E, B, C#m, A, B, E.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a mess such a wreck don't forget about it
I am in a state of total disorder and chaos, and I want you to acknowledge and remember it
I drag myself through the dirt just to feel a little closer to the ground
I humble myself to experience a sense of reality and commonality with others
Because I've always had my head up in the clouds
I have always had unrealistic and idealistic aspirations in life
Take a second and look down
Take a moment to face reality and consider the consequences of my actions
I've got my name on a string
I am constantly in the spotlight and under scrutiny by others
Tangled up in lights despite the fact that they are working
I am caught up in the glamour and glitz of fame, even though it's not all it's cracked up to be
I live my life on the line to find a way to be unforgettable
I take risks and push boundaries in order to leave a lasting impact on the world
Don't fix it if it hasn't broken yet
Don't try to fix or change something that isn't causing any harm or problems
Don't regret it if it hasn't happened yet
Don't feel remorseful or guilty about something that hasn't occurred yet
So let's go, a tiny spark to set it off
Let's take a small action that will start a chain reaction or series of events
I'll explode, ignite the dark illuminate the unknown
I will create a powerful and dynamic impact that will bring light to the unknown or unseen
But since your head's in the clouds the best advice I found is don't look down
If you are too focused on your dreams and ambitions, it's best to not pay too much attention to reality and its harsh truths
Face the facts you're a betting man and the deck is stacked
Accept the reality that you are taking risks and facing challenges that are against you
Against you all the time
These challenges and obstacles are constantly present and against you
Since your life is just a failure by design
Your life seems to be destined for failure and struggles
Do you feel like you're better without it?
Are you happier and more fulfilled without your dreams and ambitions?
'Cause it looks like you're nothing without it
Because it seems as though your entire identity and worth are tied to your dreams and ambitions
Well it's the best advice I've found
This is the most valuable advice I have come across
Don't look down
Avoid focusing too much on the harsh truths of reality and the obstacles that are against you
Ignite the dark and live it up
Create an impact and be adventurous and daring in life
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSEPH F WEISS, DANIEL P O'CONNOR, JACKSON R MASSUCCO, JOSHUA B LYFORD, ALAN C DAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zachary Leitz
Saw these guys at a concert playing with ETID a few years back. FYS opened with this song, but something was wrong with the wiring or something, so you couldn't hear the vocals or the guitars through the speakers. They stopped to fix the problem, but the audience was going crazy and singing the song anyways, so they just kept on. I've never seen so many grown men mosh to a break down, even though it wasn't coming through the speakers. One of the most epic moments I've witnessed.
Jouichiro Jordan
itβs already 10 years i hope they still stay strong
YOMIHA TOYS
lmaoooooooooo would be funny if they made alter ego called Ten Year Strong
Strugglebear
They did not
Deuces Shoeless
Too bad they don't still sound this good
Jouichiro Jordan
@Aj G for real ? they not disband?
Williams Kopong
THEY ARE STILL STRONG AF!
lastplacewin
It's so good to see a band smiling and having fun in their film clips. Makes you enjoy the music that much more.
Rei Ayanami
This song just pops up in my mind time to time and I always listen to it with a great smile on my face :D
LordBELVEDERE PATS&BOSOX
11 years ago this album changed my life! I listened to it front to back day in and day out! Ive slowed down a bit since those days but at least once a week i listen to ENEMY OF THE WORLD! Love you boys!